Getty Arizona Cardinals RB David Johnson
The Arizona Cardinals and fantasy football players alike were given a scare on Sunday afternoon when star running back David Johnson left the Week 2 matchup. The Cardinals face the Baltimore Ravens in Week 2, and Johnson was sidelined late in the first quarter.
The news came that Johnson had suffered an apparent wrist injury, and it was revealed on the broadcast that he was questionable to return to the action. As ESPN’s Trey Wingo revealed, the scene was more than a bit concerning, as Johnson jogged off the field while barely moving his arm.
Uh oh David Johnson running off the field with his left arm just hanging there
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Below is a photo of the scene after Johnson got to the sidelines and was getting checked out by the training staff.
While the severity of the wrist injury remains unknown, there’s an obvious reason for concern based on history.
David Johnson’s Previous Wrist Injury
This isn’t the first time Johnson has dealt with a wrist injury, and the last one sidelined him for nearly an entire season. The Cardinals star suffered a dislocated wrist in the 2017 season opener which resulted in him missing the rest of the year.
Johnson was coming off a season in which he racked up 1,239 rushing yards with 16 scores while adding 80 receptions for 879 yards and two additional touchdowns as a pass-catcher. Johnson looked good in Arizona’s 2019 opener, rushing for 82 yards on 18 carries while also hauling in 6-of-7 targets for 55 yards and one score.
David Johnson Fantasy Football Impact
There’s no question that the absence of Johnson would be a huge blow for the Cardinals if he were to miss any extended time. As things currently stand, Arizona has two young running backs behind him on the depth chart in Chase Edmonds and D.J. Foster, while the former will likely get first crack at added playing time.
Edmonds was a 2018 fourth-round draft pick out of Fordham, while Foster is in his fourth season after playing collegiately at Arizona State. Edmonds has totaled 213 rushing and 103 receiving yards with two scores through 17 career games while Foster has 43 rushing and 135 receiving yards in 10 games after beginning his career with the New England Patriots.
David Johnson Injury Update
**Note: Johnson returned to the game during the second quarter just before halftime.
Although Johnson was able to return after being listed as questionable, this came after a concerning bit of news. As NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo revealed, the injury appeared to be to the same wrist which Johnson injured in 2017.
But after a trip to the locker room to get checked out, Garafolo stated that Johnson returned to the sidelines while still in uniform.
David Johnson is back on the Cardinals’ sideline in uniform. So that’s a good sign.
On another bright note, ESPN’s Josh Weinfuss reports that Johnson had his helmet and gloves on while sitting on the bench.
David Johnson is sitting on the bench with his helmet and two gloves on. He keeps trying to stretch to his left hand/wrist. No other details about his injury are available yet.
Barring some type of setback, it does seem that Johnson is in the clear to keep rolling in Week 2, but will likely get checked out and have more tests done after the game.
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David Johnson Injury: Fantasy Football Outlook & Status Updates